NUJ
Like in the general elections, the Osun State Council of the NUJ on Monday recorded low turn out of its members at the opening of the annual Press Week of the Union in Osogbo,the Osun State capital.
About forty out of about 200 registered members of NUJ in the State attended the opening ceremony, which began at 1pm, about three hours behind schedule, due to lateness by many members and some invitees
Most of the chairs in the hall were empty while the ceremony lasted.
“But for the student journalists on attachment,who came in large numbers,attendance could have been extremely poor.” The State Council Chairman of the NUJ,Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu lamented..
Wasiu went on to task journalists to have a positive change of orientation towards the affairs of their Union affairs and to show good examples to effect positive change of public attitude towards civic duties.
He, however, commended most especially representatives of the private broadcast stations within and outside Osogbo, who proudly came early before the programme started.
Some of other attendees who spoke to our Correspondent deplored the culture of procrastination and Afrcan time mentalty among Nigerians , describing the pattern, especially during functions as a social.malaise which must be discouraged by journalists taking the lead.
The NUJ Press Week has been an annual event introduced over the years to reawaken public consciousness on the invaluable role of the press and to sensitise the public on the achievements,challenges, and prospects of the profession.
The theme of this year’s lecture is “Governance and Security in Nigeria,Progress,Challenges and Future Direction”
In his lecture, the Guest Lecturer, Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya of the Osun State University painted a grim picture of the security situation in the country, attributing it to governance failure to convert political power into social justice and economic growth, politicisation of the issue of security,wide spread corruption and poverty..
Professor Kola-Olusanya predicted that Nigeria would come out stronger from the challenges based on political will and the resilience of Nigerians.
He gave more suggestions on the way forward.These include good governance, nuturing of ethical and visionary leadership, promotion of civic engagement and media freedom, a restructured federal system that empowers states to design their own security frameworks.deepening of regional and global cooperation to build intelligence sharing networks and combat transitional crime,use of technology and data- driven decision-making Artificial Intelligence and predictive analytics for early warning signals as well as strong institutions and independent Judiciary,Legislature and anti-corruption agencies free from political meddling.
While rating the Nigerian Press high in its performance over the years, the Don reminded that a free,ethical, and fearless media is the surest guardian of both democracy and peace.
Professor Anthony Kola-Olusanya remarked, “As we reflect on this year’s NUJ Press Week banner,let this gathering renew our collective resolve to reclaim governance from corruption,restore security through justice and rebuild Nigeria on the enduring pillars of truth,unity and compassion.”
The week-long activities will be rounded off on Friday with a get-together by journalists and friends of the profession. # #
From Salmanu Akano,free lance journalist.